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The Ferryman.
He was a Gathering Stars Realm assassin, yet he’d once assassinated a freshly broken-through Spiritual Manifestation expert!
This was practically a miracle. If word got out, it was sure to cause an enormous commotion.
After all, the Spiritual Manifestation Realm was the first realm of the Spirit Dao. Upon reaching this realm, one was already worthy of the title “advanced cultivator.” Such a high cultivation made someone a peak-level figure even here in the Great Xia.
Yet the Ferryman managed to sneak into Daoist Mu’s immortal cave and assassinate him, silent and undetected. This was unquestionably terrifying.
Qian Tianlong was instantly excited. “Senior Apprentice Brother Huo, don’t tell me you know how to contact the assassins of the Sea of Bitterness?”
Huo Yunsheng nodded. “That’s right, but don’t get excited too early. The Sea of Bitterness’s help comes at an extraordinary price.”
Qian Tianlong was stunned. He took a deep breath and said, “Senior Brother Huo, please instruct me.”
“The Sea of Bitterness’s rules require anyone hoping to have a Grain Avoidance cultivator assassinated to offer up information regarding the target. Remember, the information cannot be fake; the Sea of Bitterness will send someone to research the target’s abilities and background too.” Huo Yunsheng said, “The client also has to pay a deposit of thirty tier-six spirit stones.”
The corners of Qian Tianlong’s lips twitched uncontrollably.
Thirty tier-six spirit stones?
And that was just the deposit?
The cost of hiring an assassin from the Sea of Bitterness was a bit too exorbitant, wasn’t it?
“When the assassination is complete, the Sea of Bitterness will come to collect the remainder of their compensation. The price is based on a target’s strength and social standing,” continued Huo Yunsheng. “But that’s just the first condition you must meet. The other is that you’ll owe the Sea of Bitterness a favor.”
Qian Tianlong was flabbergasted. “A favor? What does that mean?”
Huo Yunsheng said casually, “It’s simple. Once the assassination is complete, you’ll effectively owe the Sea of Bitterness a favor. When they need it repaid, they’ll send someone to come find you.”
When he heard that, Qian Tianlong hesitated.
If it were just a matter of giving up a few spirit stones, he might gnash his teeth over it, but he could still agree.
But a favor? That was harder to say. What if they demanded something he couldn’t agree to?
Huo Yunsheng laughed. “Junior Apprentice Brother Qian, with their power, even if you owe the Sea of Bitterness a favor, there’s no way they’ll force you to do anything against your principles. Of course, it’s still ultimately up to you whether or not to ask the Sea of Bitterness to assassinate Su Yi and his companions.”
Qian Tianlong fell silent, and his expression shifted erratically.
A while later, he gnashed his teeth and said, “Senior Apprentice Brother Huo, I agree!”
Huo Yunsheng’s eyes shone; he seemed gratified. “You’ve got guts! When the time comes, I’ll help with the deposit. Consider it a token of my regard.”
“Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Brother!” said Qian Tianlong gratefully. “Later, when we return to the sect, if there’s anything you need, I won’t refuse!”
Huo Yunsheng smiled and nodded, then fixed his gaze on Sun Feng. “Junior Apprentice Brother Sun, you are not to leak so much as a word of what we discussed here, especially not anything related to the Sea of Bitterness. Absolutely no one is to find out about this. Do you understand?”
Sun Feng’s heart tensed, and he nodded solemnly.
….
Spiritbend City was the most populous and affluent place in the Southern Skies Province.
The Great Xia’s three peak-level trading companies all had branches here.
Them aside, the city was home to merchants and shops of all kinds, both big and small. The city was densely-populated and extremely prosperous.
In the Southern Skies Province’s cultivation world, everyone knew that spiritual medicines and materials tiers five and up were only available in Spiritbend City!
Furthermore, Spiritbend City hosted a Spiritbend Assembly at regular intervals. At the assembly, rare treasures, the kind that could be found by chance but not sought, were auctioned off.
Spiritbend Assemblies attracted countless cultivators from all over the world.
Half a day later.
The treasure ship carrying Su Yi and his companions slowly descended, landing beyond Spiritbend City’s eastern gate.
“That’s the Cloudsky Eight Paradise Flag! There are cultivators of Cloudsky Divine Palace on board that ship!”
“Cloudsky Divine Palace! My heavens! The curtains open on the next Spiritbend Assembly just two days from now. Don’t tell me they’ve come to attend?”
“That’s for sure! Remember, this upcoming Spiritbend Assembly isn’t like those in prior years; it’s drawn over countless mighty existences.”
The treasure ship landed, instantly triggering countless conversations.
When Su Yi and company disembarked, they saw who-knows-how-many people craning up their necks at them. Some were ordinary citizens, while others were martial artists. There was no shortage of cultivators, either.
However, regardless of their status, their expressions were full of reverence.
To the point that when Huo Yunsheng, Qian Tianlong, and the others descended, the commotion instantly died down, and the area near the gates descended into a solemn silence.
When he saw this, Ling Yunhe, Yuan Heng, and the others were inwardly stunned. They increasingly understood just how much influence Cloudsky Divine Palace had in the Great Xia’s cultivation world!
When its members went out, even if they were just disciples, they were the center of attention wherever they went.
Su Yi, however, rather disliked this feeling.
He preferred soaring through the clouds like a wild crane and disappearing into a sea of faces, a passerby admiring the red dust of mortality in all its facets.
“Your Excellencies, we’ve already prepared a palanquin. Please, right this way!” A dignified-looking middle-aged man in black rushed over from the city gates, smiled, and clasped his fist in greeting.
The crowd was instantly in uproar.
Wu Youyuan!
He was the leader of the Southern Skies Province’s third-ranked faction, the Rejuvenation Spirit Sect and a long-established Gathering Stars Realm cultivator!
In the eyes of the province’s mundane martial artists and cultivators, he was unquestionably someone they could only gaze upon from afar. Ordinarily speaking, it was difficult just to lay eyes on him.
Yet now, the highest authority figure of the Rejuvenation Spirit Sect was here in person to welcome these new arrivals, and he was behaving as humbly as a servant!
This scene shook countless onlookers’ hearts, and they looked at Huo Yunsheng and company with even greater reverence.
“Junior Apprentice Sister Ren, you take Fellow Daoist Ling and the others to see Senior Apprentice Sister Wen. I’ll take Junior Apprentice Brother Qian and Junior Apprentice Brother Sun out for a stroll through the city,” ordered Huo Yunsheng.
Ren Youyou was briefly stunned, but then nodded in agreement.
The leader of the Rejuvenation Spirit Sect, Wu Youyuan, then guided Ren Youyou, Su Yi, and the rest of the group to the palanquin, which carried them into Spiritbend City.
However, Huo Yunsheng, Qian Tianlong, and Sun Feng went in a different direction as soon as they entered the city.
“Strange. What are Su Yi and his companions doing with members of the Cloudsky Divine Palace?” A youth in a high-brimmed hat and jade robes stood amidst the crowd gathered by the gate. He looked a bit confused.
This person was none other than Gu Cangning, who’d once taken one of Su Yi’s attacks head-on over the Great Chu’s Billowing Sky River.
“Young Master, who is Su Yi?” whispered a beautiful woman in an unornamented white dress.
“Someone hard to fathom,” said Gu Cangning, a strange look in his eyes. “It would be great if we could be friends, but if he becomes my enemy… That’ll be real trouble.”
The woman exclaimed, “Is he a mighty survivor of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness like you?”
Gu Cangning’s expression shifted subtly. “With my methods, I can identify those who recently awakened after surviving the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness. Su Yi obviously isn’t one of us, but his cultivation and accumulations aren’t the least bit inferior to we ‘monsters of the ancient era.’”
The woman couldn’t help but look moved. “The modern cultivators of the Great Xia include quite a few unparalleled geniuses, like Wen Xinzhao, Yu Wenshu, Li Handeng, and Chen Lu. Don’t tell me Su Yi is on par with them?”
Gu Cangning thought for a moment, then said, “It’s hard to say. You saw Wen Xinzhao yesterday too. She really is an extraordinarily talented sword cultivator, but I most certainly don’t think she’s stronger than Su Yi.”
The woman in the white dress looked solemn, but then, a charming, enticing smile appeared on her cold face. Her red lips curved upward, and she murmured, “Young Master, when you say that, I can’t help but want to test Su Yi’s abilities for myself.”
Gu Cangning laughed coldly. “We call what you’re doing now ‘having no self-respect.’”
The woman blinked, seemingly aggrieved. “I just wanted to help you, that’s all. Why insult me?”
Gu Cangning said coldly, “Lan Shang, you’d best restrain yourself. If not for me, do you really think you could have survived the thirty thousand years of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness with the paltry talent of your bloodline?”
The woman tensed up, and her charming smile disappeared, replaced with panic. She whispered, “Young Master, rest assured. I won’t create trouble for you.”
“Let’s go. I’m afraid numerous unexpected variables will arise at the upcoming Spiritbend Assembly, but I’d hate to see someone else seize the Demonic Womb.”
As he spoke, Gu Cangning put his hands behind his back and walked toward the city.
The woman in the unornamented white dress hurried up to him. “Young Master, last night, Holy Maiden Jade Angelica sent a message. She said that if you’re willing to join forces with her to eliminate Wen Xinzhao, she’ll help you obtain the Demon Embryo in exchange. How do you plan to respond?”
“The Deathbringer’s Netherworld Palace? Hah! Thirty thousand years ago, they were the world’s top faction of ghost cultivators, but they’ve long since disappeared into the river of history. What Deathbringer’s Netherworld Palace? It no longer exists. You ask me, and she ought to call herself the Deathbringer’s Gate’s holy maiden.” Gu Cangning’s eyes shone with a hint of disdain. “Send a message and tell her that I can help, but only on the condition that she agrees to serve me!”
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The woman in the unadorned white dress nodded.
Spiritbend City.
A courtyard covering over a dozen acres, with bridges, flowing waters, and a forest of pavilions.
“Everyone, this is as far as I can take you.” The Rejuvenation Spirit Sect’s leader, Wu Youyuan, laughed and clasped his fist.
“Many thanks.” Ren Youyou nodded.
After Wu Youyuan left, Ren Youyou led Su Yi and company through a winding hallway and deeper into the residence.
Here, there was a small pond with lush bamboo and luxuriant vegetation growing by the shore, as well as a three-story pavilion. The environment was calm and tranquil.
A graying, bearded, withered elder sat before the pavilion in a bamboo chair. His eyes were shut, as if he were dozing, and he looked utterly serene.
“Greetings, Martial Uncle Zhang!” Ren Youyou stepped up and bowed in greeting.
The old man in the bamboo chair opened his eyes, which crackled with cold lightning as he swept his gaze across Su Yi and company.
Yuan Heng and Bai Wenqing both went rigid as a sense of oppression bore down on them.
Ling Yunhe’s eyes narrowed, while Qing Ya jumped in the face of the elder’s terrifying gaze and took a step back.
Only Su Yi just stood there, hands behind his back, calm and composed, as if he sensed nothing at all.